I could smell the blood on her breath. The scent was comforting in an odd sort of way, since it reminded me of Robert. Many of the kisses he and I shared tasted coppery. Shocking initially, though I hardly noticed it anymore.
I sniffed. “How, though? I have no idea what to do. Do you?”
“I don’t know what the protocol is for immortal kidnappings,” she admitted. “But I bet Marlena does.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to get her involved just yet.” I got up to get Liz a refill of blood just to have something to do. The energy drink had sobered me, but now I was jumpier than ever.
She said, “Before we get all panicky, are we sure Robert has even been kidnapped?”
“I can’t think of what else it could be, Liz. It’s not just his phone and his car here. His wallet was left behind, too. He wouldn’t go anywhere without it.”
“I think you should reconsider calling Marlena. She might?—”
“Shh! Do you hear that?”
“What?”
“Robert’s phone. Quick! Where did I put it?” I screeched.
“There! On the counter!”
I must have broken a few Olympic track records as I raced to answer Robert’s phone before it clicked over to voicemail. Okay,ow. I also might have broken my big toe, which I’d stubbed on the chair in my haste.
I grabbed the phone on its third ring. The caller ID revealed no name, only PRIVATE NUMBER.
“Hello! Robert?” It was ludicrous to think that Robert might be calling his own phone after vanishing but hope springs eternal.
“Try again, sweetheart.”
My heart sank. I’d only met the bitch once, but I recognized the sultry French accent immediately.
Not that I was going to letherknow that.
“I’m sorry, who’s speaking?” I asked curtly. On the bright side, my aggravation was taking my mind off my throbbing big toe. “You’ve reached Robert Bramson’s phone.”
“Iknowwhose phone this is, little girl. It’s Serena Aucoin.”
More notably, Serena Aucoin from the VGO. The same Serena who’d eye-fucked Robert so hard during our trip to their headquarters that she might have gotten pregnant, if that was how such things worked.
Serena with the icy blonde hair, sapphire eyes, mile-long legs, and nasty attitude about humans.
Serena, who’d voted to kill me when other VGO members had wanted to give me a chance to prove myself.
I’m sorry, that doesn’t ring a bell, but you sure do sound like a skank, I nearly said. Thankfully, my good sense stepped in.
“Oh, yes, Serena. What can I do for you?” I asked pleasantly.
Skank or not, Serena was still a member of the VGO. She was by no means their leader, but she was important enough to hold a place at their prestigious high table. Getting lippy with her would cause more grief than it was worth. I already had too much to deal with as it was.
“It’s not what you can do for me,” she said with a cutting laugh that turned my blood to ice. “It’s what I’m going to do for you.”
6
Iended the call with Serena, then shuffled back to my chair at the kitchen table. I dropped down on it like a sack of bricks.
“Whowasthat?” Liz demanded. “You look like someone walked over your grave.”
My lips felt numb as I answered, “That was Serena.”
